


help

by umisabaku



Category: Eyeshield 21
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 14:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12111045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/umisabaku/pseuds/umisabaku
Summary: Shin needs help with his relationship with Sena; Sakuraba really wishes Shin had other friends.





	help

Whenever Shin suddenly appears in front of him, Sakuraba can’t help but feel a little nervous. Shin has an imposing way of looming that always makes Sakuraba feel short despite the fact that he’s actually two centimeters taller than Shin.

“I am dating Kobayakawa Sena,” Shin announces.

“Er, yes?” Sakuraba says, because he knows that, all of Oujou knows that. Shin and Sena go on “dates” that really seems more like training practice but who is Sakuraba to judge?

Shin continues to stand there. After awhile, he says, “I would like to hold him.”

Sakuraba nearly chokes on his own coughing and sputtering, not entirely sure he heard what he thinks he heard. _Surely_ not. Shin Seijuurou is _not_ coming to him for sex advice…right? ( _Right??)_

“Er,” he says.

“I have often seen couples embrace each other before parting,” Shin continues. “I wish to do so.”

“You mean… you want to hug him?” Sakuraba says.

“Yes, that is correct.”

There is some moderate relief there, because Sakuraba was definitely not ready for the other conversation. “Oh. OK. Cool. I bet Sena would like that.”

Shin still looms, and if he were any other man, Sakuraba would think he was _embarrassed._ “I would like to hold him,” he says again.

“Right?” Sakuraba says, still incredibly lost.

“I… don’t wish to hurt him.”

Sakuraba is sure he is bright red now, panicking once again at the idea that Shin is coming to him for sex advice, and then it finally clicks: Shin breaks things.

Shin breaks pretty much _everything._

“ _Oh,_ ” Sakuraba says, processing this. This is the man whose response to a friendly arm around his shoulder was a full-on spear to the gut. The guy who, when holding anything vaguely electronic, instantly broke it just by twitching. It is possible that if he tried to hug anyone it would just end up being a hospitalizing tackle to the ground. “Right. Gotcha. Huh. We’re going to need to outsource this.”

*

“The key is to work your way up to a person,” Takami says, adjusting his glasses. “So we will start small. Shin, hold out your hand—flat, don’t move your fingers.”

Takami is in college now, and really should have better things to do than help Shin hug his boyfriend, but this is strangely the kind of thing Takami really likes being involved with. He places an egg in Shin’s hands. “Don’t move for five minutes.”

“Right,” Shin says. He stares down at the egg in the flat of his palm. Takami stares at the egg. Sakuraba stares at the egg.

Shin moves and the egg explodes in his hands.

Takami winces. “We’ll get there.”

*

“I can’t watch,” Sakuraba says, burying his face in his hands.

“We’re making progress!” Takami says. “This is clearly the next step.”

“I am not sure this is a good idea,” Shin says.

“We practiced on the stuffed animal, remember? This isn’t any different,” Takami says.

Shin does not look convinced. (Nor should he. They went through ten stuffed animals before he could hold one without destroying it).

“Except this rabbit is actually alive,” Sakuraba says. “And could actually die.” Shin winces, and Sakuraba does feel bad, but _someone_ needs to speak up for that rabbit.

“Shin, I have complete faith in you,” Takami says.

Shin does not look convinced, but he reaches down for the rabbit.

“No, stop! I changed my mind!” Wakana cries, and snatches her rabbit out of what was most likely impending doom. “I can’t let this happen!” She runs out of the room with her bunny. Sakuraba can’t help but breathe a huge sigh of relief.

“All things considered, animal testing was most likely cruel,” Takami says.

“Right,” Sakuraba says.

“A human subject would be better anyhow,” Takami says.

“Right,” Sakuraba says. And then suddenly very much does not like how they both look at him.

*

“Please stop,” Sakuraba whimpers. He has been “hugged” (ie, tackled) by Shin about five times now and he’s pretty sure he needs to go to the hospital again.

“This is not working,” Shin says, sounding more glum than Sakuraba has ever heard him before.

“It’s a work in progress,” Takami says. “Just be patient.” He looks down at the broken form of Sakuraba and adds, “We’re going to need more volunteers.”

**Author's Note:**

> I like to think this exists in the same universe as "The American Football the Kuroko Plays" but that's just me =D


End file.
